Boiler-plate-milling machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(o Model.)

C.l E. HOPPES. BOILBR PLATE MILLING MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 29,189.6. Il'

witnesses I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

C. E. HOPPES. BOILLR PLATE I/IILLIIIII` MACHINE.

Paten-manso. 29, 1896.

WW1/wwe@ (No Model.)` 3 SheQts-Sheet 3.,

, o. E. HOPPES.

BOILER PLATE MILLING MACHINE. No. 574,063. Patented Deo. 29, 1896.,

UNITED STATES f ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. IIOPPES, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

BOiLER-PLATE-NIILLINVG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,063, dated December 29, 1896.

` Application filed August 8, 1896. Serial No. 602.162. (No modeLl To LZ/1 whom t may concer/L: i

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HOPPES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springiield, in the coun ty of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Plate-Mil ling Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in milling-machines; and the object of my invention is to provide a machine especially adapted for milling theedges of boiler-plates. Iattain this obj ect by the constructions shown in the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a portion of the same. Fig. 4t is a longitudinal section of the traveling' cutter-head.

Figs. 4a, 5, and 6 are detail views of the same.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation, and Figs. S, 9, and 10 are detail views of the adj listing devices for the traveling cutter-head.

Like parts are represented by similar letters and numerals of reference in the several views. Y

ln the said drawings, a a represent a main frame which is provided with suitable longitudinal Ways a', onwhich is adapted to travel a carriage Z1. This carriage has a movable head Z1', provided at one end with suitable bearings b2,in which is mounted an angularlyarranged spindle b3, on which is mounted a rotary cutter 114 and also a beveled gear b5. This beveled gear b5 meshes with a pinion Z1( on a transverse shaft Z1?, which is provided at the other end with a laterally-movable beveled gear Z18, meshing with a laterally-moving gear Z1 on a longitudinal shaft Z110. The shaft Z110 extends throughout the entire length of the machine and is preferably supported at intervals by bearing-supports Z111, which are in the nature of half-boxes and are supported by adjustable columns Z112, which rest at the bottom on cams Z113. These cams Z113 are secured on the ends of short shafts Z114, which extend through ono side of the frame and carry on the outside of the frame pinions Z115. The traveling head Z1 is provided with rackseetions Z116, adapted as the head moves to contact with the pinions Z115 and thus revolve the cams, the construction being such that as the head approaches one of the bearing-supports Z111 said bearing-supportwill, by the action of the pinion and cam7 be lowered to permit the driving-gearb-rto pass over the same, when it will again be raised to position to snpport the longitudinal shaft Z910.

There is extending longitudinally through the frame a feedshaft, or, more properly speaking, a feed-screw c. This feed-screw is supported at intervals by suitable bearingsupports cf and is adapted to be engaged by an internally-screw-threaded half-sleeve c2, supported on the lower ends of longitudinallymoving rods cslidingly mounted in bearings in the movable head Connected to the rod c3 by a curved bar c1 is a yoke c5, which embraces a cam c6 on a transverse shaft c1, said shaft being lever es, by means of which it may be partially revolved, thus through the medium of the cam lowering or raising the screw-threaded half-sleeve c2 to cause it to engage or disengage the feed-screw c.

Means are provided for driving the shaft Z110 from usual driving-pulleys Z117, arranged at one end of the frame, a driving connection being established between said shaft and the feed-screw through the medium of suitable variable-speed gears l, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Arranged in front of the traveling cutterhead and extending the entire length of the machine is a bed-plate d, and above this bedplate is a clam ping-beam CZ", which is adapted to be moved in a well-known manner by screws cl2, having hand-wheels cl3. Upon this bedplate CZ the plate to be milled is placed and clamped thereon by means of the clampingscrews cl2. The machine is then started and the cutter-head caused to travel longitudinally along the plate with the revolving cutter in contact with the edge of said plate.

The cutter, being arranged at an angle, will mill the edge of the plate at the proper angle desired.

As is well known, in producing a boilershell the different sections formed by uniting the ends of the various plates are put together by inserting one end of one plate in the end of the next succeeding plate, the sections being made slightly tapered for this purpose. In order to produce this taper, it is necessary that one end of the boiler-plates be slightly convex and the other end slightly concave.

provided with a handle or y IOO .tive gears.

To accomplish this and to provide means for milling the edge of the plate automatically to any desired curve, I support the movable head b on suitable ways 1918 and provide said head with a nut U9, with which engages the end of a screw-threaded rod e. This screwthreaded rod e passes through. a sleeve e and is provided at one end of the sleeve with a hand-wheel e2 and at the other .end of the sleeve with a collar es. The sleeve is supported in two split bearings e4 and e5, which are respectively provided with clampingscrews e and c", adapted to clamp said sleeve and prevent longitudinal movement thereof through said bearing. The bearing e5 is secured to the carriage l), while the bearing c4 is independent of the carriage.

Extending longitudinally along one side of the frame is a flexible bar f, supported at suitable intervals from the main frame by brackets` f', having at the top slotted openings f2, through which extend serewsf, which engage with the bar f and hold it in different positions of adjustment on said brackets. The split bearing e4 is provided at each side with a roller es, which rollers are adapted to engage on opposite sides of the flexible bar f. This bar f is adapted to be bent to any suitable curve to correspond with the curvature desired on the edge of the plate to be milled, and by loosening the sleeve c .in the clamping bearing e5 and tightening the bearing c4 on said sleeve the movable head b' with the cutter and its driving mechanism will be moved to or from the plate being milled by the bar f, so that the edge of the plate will assume the same shape as that of the bar. If the sleeve is clamped in the bearing e5 and the bearing el loosened, then the cutter will be caused to move straight across the plate, though it may be moved back or forth in either position by the hand-wheel e2.

To provide for loosening one of the clamps whenever the other is tightened and thus prevent both of said clamps from being tightened at the same time, I place on the respective clamping-screws e6 e7 spur-pinions e9 elo, each adapted to engage in an intermediate gear en. This intermediate gear is supported on a stud cl2, supported in the ends of links cl3 @14, the opposite ends of which are journaled on clamping-screws c6 el, so as to permit the bearings e4 e5 to be separated without breaking the gear connection between the respec- The clamping-screws c e'T are made to turn in opposite directions, that is, one is a right-hand screw and the other a left-hand, and the construction is such that whenever one screw is turned to clamp its bearing the other screw will be correspondin gly turned to loosen its bearing, so that it is impossible to clamp both of said bearings at the same time to said sleeve.

It will be seen by the above description that by changing the curve of the bar j the plate may be milled to any desired curvature, either convex or concave, and that milling boilerplatesto' t-he proper curvature to produce the desired taper of the shell is accomplished automatically, the machine being once set to the proper position and the plate properly clamped therein.

Having thus claiml. In a boiler-plate-milling machine, a stationary support, clamping devices adjacent to said support, a traveling carriage supported on guides or ways parallel and adjacent to said support, and a movable head having an angularly-arranged cutter supported on said carriage, driving devices for moving said traveling head and operating said cutter, and a exible guiding-bar adjacent to the line of travel of said head, and engagin g devices on said movable head to engage said bar to cause said head to follow the line of said bar, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the moving carriage, the movable head thereon, and a guiding-bar adjacent to the line of travel of said carriage, and an adjusting-screw for said head, said adj Listing-screw being supported in a sleeve in two independent clamping-bearings, one of said bearings being supported on said carriage and the other supported adjacent to the guiding-bar and having projections to engage said bar, and means as described for simultaneously operating said clamping devices in opposite directions to clamp one and unclainp the other, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a traveling carriage and a movable head thereon having an angularly-arran ged cutter as described, a guiding-bar supported on brackets having slotted openings, and means for securing said bar to said brackets, an adj usting-screw for said head mounted in a sleeve which is supported in clamping-bearings as described, projections on one of said bearings to engage said guiding-bar, clamping-screws for each ofl said bearings and intermeshing gears between said clamping-screws to cause said clamping-screws to be simultaneously operated, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

described my invention, I

4. The combination with the traveling carriage and the cutter thereon, a feed-screw for said carriage, a drivin g-shaft for said cutter, movable supports for said shaft, raising and lowering devices operated by gear for raising and lowering said supports, and gearsegments on each side of said carriage for engaging said gear to alternately raise and lower said supports,substantially as specified. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of July, A. D. 1896.

CHARLES E. IIOPIES. \Vitnesses:

JOHN J. Horrns, CHAs. I. WELCH. 

